Thursday, September 25th, 2014

The more I study the eligible prospects for the 2015 NFL Draft, the clearer it is becoming that this is the year of the pass rusher. Outside of quarterback play, a pass-rush is the most important aspect of fielding a good football team, and this class provides plenty of players who can do just that. With no end in sight, I will continue to introduce pass rushers, including some who were not even on my radar entering the season but have emerged.

Thursday, May 15th, 2014

With a draft class that had been heralded as deep by people both inside and outside the league, we knew all along that there would be talented players to go unselected in the 2014 NFL draft.

Putting together an annual All-Undrafted team can be a challenge some years, as there are typically at least a couple positions where the well of draftable talent had run dry. Not this year. The difficult part of selecting this year’s best undrafted players wasn’t finding players worthy of the recognition, but rather deciding which players to leave off.

The following selections represent the prospects who bring the best skill sets and potential to the next level among the undrafted pool. That doesn’t necessarily mean they have the best chances to make the rosters of the teams who signed team, as some players have entered more favorable depth charts than others, but all of these players have enough ability to build a sustained NFL career.

Monday, February 17th, 2014

Michael Sam became internationally known after publicly revealing his homosexuality Feb. 9, but NFL scouts and college football fans should have already been well aware of the 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and consensus first-team All-American.

Sam’s revelation is brave and ground-breaking, as he attempts to make it in a league that has never had an active openly gay player.

He should be praised, for his courage could lead the way for other publicly homosexual athletes to receive professional opportunities, and congratulated, for being comfortable with who he is despite the uncertainty and discrimination he likely has faced and will continue to face.

His sexuality, however, says nothing about his ability to play football, which is what ultimately puts him in position to break an NFL barrier.

Thursday, January 2nd, 2014

Both teams in the Cotton Bowl are coming off disappointing losses that cost them opportunities to play in a BCS bowl game. Missouri fell, 59-42, to Auburn in the SEC Championship Game, while Oklahoma State lost, 33-24, to in-state rival Oklahoma in its final game of the regular season

The game’s talent pool is headlined by two potential first-round pick cornerbacks in Oklahoma State’s Justin Gilbert and Missouri’s EJ Gaines. Gilbert will be matched up against the tall, physical receiving corps of Missouri, which should be make for a competitive matchup.